86 F-150 4X4 shocks, Too short ????

I recently aquired a F-150 4X4 truck, 300ci 6cyl, 4spd. The front shocks ( quad shock system ) on the pass side were literaly pulled apart. So I replaced them with a set from the local Napa store. Looking at the shocks installed, they are fully extended, with the truck sitting still. The ride over pot holed roads is almost unbearable and there is no downward travel to the suspension. Jacking the chasis up less than an inch, lifts the wheel off the ground. Anybody know of a location where shock specifications ( length and such ) can be looked up. I checked several local parts houses and they all listed the same basic shock ( different brands but all the same length ). I am no expert, in fact quite the oppisite, but shouldnt the shocks and the suspension bottom at the same time ?. Rather than having most of the shock travel left when the axle has hit the frame and no downward travel ?. Any ideas or suggestion would be welcome. Thanks

John

Sounds like a confusing situation. You say the new shocks are fully extended, so you would have plenty of shock travel with the springs compressed. The fact that you can only raise the truck an inch before the tire comes of the ground, confirms the extended shock theory. Sounds like you have a suspension lift kit with a dump truck like ride. You can buy special longer shocks that are made to install on trucks with a lift kit. It doesn't sound like your shocks are bottoming out. That is, if they are fully extended when setting still. Finally, in the compression mode, shocks should always have more travel than the suspension. In the extended mode, the shock normally limits the distance the tire will hang when the vehicle is jacked up; but the travel should be much greater than an inch.

Ron